Back from Arkansas

I was in Arkansas visiting family for Thanksgiving. I got to see all of my brothers over Thanksgiving week. Plus one set of grandparents, and various nieces and nephews.

It was really nice to be with my family. Stephen is pretty close with my brothers and they spent a lot of time outside building explosives and beating each other up....not in a mad way, but in a hey we are guys and like seeing if we can beat each other up sort of way.

I just love hanging out with my brothers. I never knew we would like each other so much as "grown ups" with as much fighting as we did as kids. I don't even remember the fighting that much, just the good times. Which there were plenty of them also. It is just so cool to be so comfortable around and be such good friends with my siblings. When we get together it is like we were never apart, we get right back to the fun so fast.
I am slightly jealous...well that is not the right word I don't think, but anyways, because Chris and Bill have each other, then Ben and Tommy, and of course the twins. Whereas I am close with all of them, I don't have a sister to hang out with. It was so sweet seeing Ben and Tommy together. Ben got home from work and he and Tommy were all smiles from then on. Laughing, joking, talking and just catching up in general.

Tyrel had a lot of fun playing with Alana, Connor and Nickole. He has never really spent a lot of time with his cousins on my side of the family. A lot of times when we would go visit, they wouldn't be home. So I am glad he got to play with them.

I got out my dad's guitar and practiced some, and he played some also. I have always loved listening to and watching my Daddy play guitar. I have only recently started to play, and can't really even play one song well yet. I have always wanted to play, but was intimidated to start.

So anyways.

We went ice skating at the Jones Center in Springdale. I had never been ice skating before. It was really fun. Tyrel loved it. If we lived near someplace like that we might have signed him up for hockey when he was older.

We also went to visit some friends who live about an hour and a half from my parents. Stephen has known them since he was 13 or 14. They used to live around here. It was great getting to see them. They are building a dome house, so we got to see that. It is really coming along. The kids are already sleeping over in it. The kitchen is/will be beautiful. I hope that Laurie and my Mom can come down for a Motherhood retreat together this coming up February.

While I was there I was thinking about when Stephen and I got engaged. It was about this time of year (November 27th 2004 to be exact) and we lived up there at the time. I still lived at home, and Stephen lived in a little camper trailer park in one of their cabins. So anyways, I was thinking of maybe writing a series of posts on how Stephen and I met. Probably not as interesting as Pioneer Woman and Marlboro Man's story, but I like it. Stephen and I did not do things like I would like our kids to, but it was a lot closer to it than most of my friends from growing up did things. At least we were both still umm "innocent" when we got married. So if you are reading it going, hey wow, that doesn't sound like Becky....I have grown up a lot and learned a lot of things about true purity since then. SO If I get around to it, you can read our love story of the next couple days/ weeks, depending on how long it takes me to get around to it.

Conkles Hollow

Also on the last full day of being in Ohio, we went hiking at Conkles Hollow. There are so many beautiful places to go hiking in the Hocking Hills. It was VERY humid while we were hiking though.

Ice Cream

The last full day we were in Ohio Mom took us for ice cream in Laurelville. They had (I think) 24 flavors of soft serve ice cream. I know everyone will be surprised but I DIDN'T get vanilla! I got banana. (When I was little and went to visit Grandma Arlene with my older brothers once, she took us for ice cream at a place that had something like 100 flavors or so. I couldn't read yet, so I asked Grandma to read me the list, and she did. I thought for a minute, then asked her to read through them a second time...When she was done I replied "I'll just take vanilla".)

Ohio Covered Bridges

I have always loved covered bridges. Until we went to Ohio this time though, I had only ever seen them in pictures. Mom and I convinced Dad to take us to see some covered bridges not too far away from where Grandma lives. We got to see three of them. It was a lot of fun. Sam and Dan did not go, because driving around just to find some old bridges that aren't used anymore did NOT sound fun to them....Boys...
They were all white, I was hoping one would be red, but the white ones were pretty too. One of them was covered in graffiti, one had a lot, but not as much as the first, and one almost had none. I don't know why people do that.

The first bridge.

Tyrel and Dad

Me sitting in front of the bridge...I set my camera to timer and ran over there for the picture....running at 51/2 months pregnant is not a good idea. My lower abdomen hurt for the rest of the day

Mom on the bridge

Tyrel and I on the bridge

The second bridge...I know, they look a lot a like, but I am posting them all anyways.

Tyrel and I..he was watching a bird

Tyrel and Dad at the far endSitting on the bridgeA smooch on the bridgeMom Dad and Tyrel silloettes Tyrel and Mom watching the water
The third bridge.

Beautiful Ohio

Hanging out at Grandma Arlene's house. I love it there. It is so pretty and so not hot, well it does get rather humid some days.

It was so bittersweet visiting Ohio. Now that my Granny (my great granny) is no longer "with it" I realise that we won't always have these visit's with the other grandparents, some day they won't be there anymore, so I try to enjoy them to the fullest while I can.

Dad by Gramma's lilies...soooo pretty

Mom and TyrelDad and Tyrel..Mom and Dad really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with their grandsonSam, Dan and Tyrel with a fire on Grandma's deck...waiting (not so) patiently for supper so they can make s'mores afterwardTyrel is his very own camping chair that Grumpa got him.

Tyrel LOVED his Great Granny Arlene right away. Almost as much as he does his Grumpa.

Uncle Buck...He's my favorite uncle, but SHHHH don't tell my other uncles. It is lots of fun to see Dad and Uncle Buck together. Lots of joking and laughing happens.

Brothers

Up next, our covered bridges tour.

On the way to Ohio

The trip to Ohio was uneventful. Tyrel was an excellent traveller. Of course he has been travelling a good bit ever since he was born, since he and I used to go with Stephen all the time.

Of course we stopped fairly often and let him get his wiggles out, and let everyone else stretch.Playing in a puddle in Indiana I think

Daniel

Samuel

Dad

Me

Mom

Tyrel taking me to look at the big trucks.

Well now, that was exctiting wasn't it... Well the next should be better, because it's in Ohio.